Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah

Ibn Ezra on Deuteronomy 24:9/אבן עזרא על דברים כ״ד:ט׳

אלמרים. הנה ראיה על דרש אל תקרי מצורע אלא מוציא שם רע:

1UNTO MIRIAM. Here is proof of the midrashic statement that we should not read the word metzora as metzora (a leper) but as an acronym for motzi shem ra (one who invents libel).³⁶ on the Torah portion Metzora 2. According to the rabbis, leprosy is a punishment for speaking ill of one’s neighbor. Miriam was punished with leprosy for speaking ill of Moses (see Num. 12). According to I.E., Scripture’s telling us that we are to recall Miriam’s punishment is another way of saying, remember the punishment for speaking ill of your neighbor.